Economy Story

Texas A&M University-Commerce has teamed up with Commerce ISD, the City of Commerce, and the Hunt Hospital Board to bring Buy and Support Local week to Commerce. Individuals from each group are encouraged to shop at local stores during the week of October 5-11 to support the community.
 

This week, consumer finance website NerdWallet crunched some numbers from a study by the Martin Prosperity Institute and came up with a list of 126 "cities on the rise in Texas." Greenville was listed in the number nine spot.

Some of the factors contributing to the high rank, according to this post, were:

After 31 years of serving the residents of Sulphur Springs and the surrounding area, Burton's Family Restaurant will be closing their doors this Sunday at 10 p.m.

It's good news that the Kilted Monkey – Commerce’s oddly named but charming pub – is reopening, after a few weeks' absence.  Commerce needs more quirky, funky hangouts for townies and students alike that give the place the character of a true college town.

According to a social media post by the local eatery, The Kilted Monkey is set to shutter permanently at the close of business this Saturday.

There will be time for questions from the public during Thursday’s town hall meeting, set for 5 – 9 p.m. at the Fletcher Warren Civic Center. 

GREENVILLE - The Greenville Electric Utility System’s budget for the new fiscal year is expected to reflect the loss of one of the local electric utilities’ biggest customers.

Ken Bain, owner of Mary of Puddin Hill, said the company’s catalog business will start up again next month, with the retail store opening before that, likely on or about October 1st.

The multi-million dollar project was announced in March as collaboration between the City of Greenville and mall owners.

In Commerce, the proposed tax rate for the new fiscal year is the same as last year, $0.82 per $100 valuation.

GREENVILLE -  The proposed entertainment venue could be constructed in the city's Towne Center development along Interstate 30.

GREENVILLE - A North Texas company which provides services to the oil and gas industry setting up shop at the site of the vacant Woodgrain Millwork building, which closed last fall.

PARIS - A global contact company with more than a decade of service in Paris is closing its operation by the end of the month.

COMMERCE - Commerce businesses pursuing projects that will help create jobs may be able to receive financial assistance through a revolving loan fund awarded to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

COOPER - Funding and loan guarantee problems led to the dissolve of previous economic development corporations. Now a committee is refocusing efforts to bring more business to the community.

PARIS - An agreement reached this week in Lamar County is expected to bring in more than 300 new jobs over the next five years. 

GREENVILLE - The new venue could fill the void caused by the closing of Greenville’s Mary of Puddin Hill, which had been in operation in the area dating back more than 160 years.

AUSTIN - The Hunt County jobless rate rose to its highest ever for the month of May at 8.6 percent.

GREENVILLE - Local government leaders may be considering whether to grant freeport tax exemptions to Hunt County industries to help attract more business.

County officials are trying to make some hard decisions about what to do about next year’s county budget.

GREENVILLE - The start of construction on Fabric Line 2 at Cytec Engineered Materials was not just the site of a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, but another example of "solid recruiting and support of Greenville businesses."

COMMERCE - Roughly 40 people, several of whom are students, find themselves unemployed following Sunday’s abrupt closing of the College Corner Café.

According to a facebook post from the Commerce burger joint, today is their last day of service, and doors are closing indefinitely.

SULPHUR SPRINGS - Just three years after completing a $16 million expansion that doubled its plant size and added 130 workers, Bob Evans Farms Inc. says another expansion is planned at its Sulphur Springs facility. 

GREENVILLE - A second meeting is today between Greenville city officials and a North Texas business looking to occupy a vacant manufacturing plant. 

GREENVILLE - On Wednesday, the Board of Development heard from officials with Total Equipment and Service who say they plan to use the former  Woodgrain Millwork facility for logistics, purchasing and as a warehouse. 

GREENVILLE - Tough news for the local economy as officials with Greenville’s Newell Rubbermaid plant say they intend to close their doors next year. 

GREENVILLE – A press release Thursday from Woodgrain Millwork Inc. says their entire Greenville operation will move to West Des Moines, Iowa by late November.

COMMERCE – A global healthcare products leader that's been a significant player in the local economy is closing their doors, leaving more than 300 workers without jobs.